Troubleshoot Video Capture Problems in Snagit

Problem

The following issues may occur when encoding a video after recording:

• Video out-of-sync
• Dropped video frames
• Poor performance
• Distorted audio
• Error message
• Discolored, or pink / green color in video

If the following error appears after recording: Cannot open file. Snagit does not support GIF or MP4 files with dimensions greater than 3840x2160 or less than 64x64.

Try the steps in Option 4 to resolve this error.

Solution

Please try all of the troubleshooting steps below.

• Option 1: Check System Requirements
• Option 2: Disable Web Camera
• Option 3: Update System Drivers
• Option 4: Change Record Mode
• Option 5: Check Audio
• Option 6: Adjust Video Quality
• Option 7: Change Performance Settings

Option 1: Check System Requirements

Make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements for Snagit. If it does not, upgrade your computer or use a different computer to record video.

• 2.4 GHz single core processor (dual core i5 required for video capture)
• 4 GB required for video capture
• At least 1 GB of hard-disk space
• Video and Panoramic capture on Windows N requires the Media Feature Pack for Windows N.

Option 2: Disable Web Camera

If the web camera is not being recorded, then disabling the web camera can help improve overall performance.

1. Open the Capture window.
2. Select File > Capture Preferences > Capture tab and deselect Enable Webcam.
3. Click OK.
   

Option 3: Update System Drivers

Check for updates for the hardware drivers on your computer. Visit your computer manufacturer's support site and check for updates based on your computer model number.

Here are some popular manufacturer's support sites:

• Dell
• HP
• Lenovo
• Asus

Option 4: Change Record Mode

Snagit settings can be changed to use software mode instead of hardware mode (default). Depending on the computer and hardware being used, this may improve the performance.

Snagit 2023 and later

1. Go to File -> Capture Preferences in the Snagit Capture window.
2. Click on the "Capture" tab.
3. Select the "Disable hardware accelerated recording" option and press Ok.

For Snagit versions 2018 through 2022

1. Exit Snagit and the Snagit Editor. Confirm that they are not running in Task Manager.
2. Press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run window.
3. Type the following and click OK: regedit
4. Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TechSmith\Features\snagit.
5. Click the snagit folder.
6. Right-click the AllowHwVideoEncoding item on the right and select Modify.
7. Change the Value data field from 1 to 0, and press OK.
8. Close the Registry Editor, and open Snagit, and try a new recording.

Option 5: Check Audio

Snagit will attempt to initialize the audio devices when a recording starts, even if the audio is turned off in Snagit (this is so the audio can be muted and un-muted while recording). If there is a problem initializing the audio devices, this may cause video capture to fail. Try the troubleshooting steps suggested in this support article.

Option 6: Adjust Video Quality

By default, Snagit is set to record at Medium Quality. If you experience performance issues, try lowering the quality setting.

1. Open the Capture Window.
2. Click File > Capture Preferences.
   
3. Click the Capture tab.
4. Adjust the Video Quality dropdown.

For information on the expected capture frame rates, see this support article.

Option 7: Change Performance Settings

Many laptops include an option to adjust the overall performance. Select Control Panel > Power Settings to check for the option to run at High Performance.